Rublev Wins After 3h24 Battle Against Popyrin in Cincinnati
Andrey Rublev has advanced to the round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Coming off a quarterfinal appearance in Toronto last week, the in-form Russian emerged victorious from a grueling battle against Alexei Popyrin.
In a rematch of the 2024 Canadian Open final, which the Australian had won, Rublev got his revenge. The match, interrupted by rain early in the third set, saw the world No. 11 hold his nerve better.
Popyrin had started strong, however. In a set lasting over an hour, the Australian converted his first set point to take the lead after a tiebreak. But Rublev refused to relent, and after a second tiebreak, the two-time Masters 1000 champion leveled the match.
With experience on his side, the 27-year-old eventually took control in the closing stages. After a nearly three-and-a-half-hour battle, Rublev secured the win (6-7, 7-6, 7-5 in 3h24).
The No. 9 seed now moves on to the round of 16, where he will face Francisco Comesaña. Despite struggling with the heat and even vomiting on court, the Argentine regained his composure to rally past Reilly Opelka (6-7, 6-4, 7-5 in 2h58).
Notably, Comesaña had earned his first-ever ATP main-draw victory against Rublev in the first round of Wimbledon last year. The two have not met since.
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